Getting it right in the early years’ foundation stage (EYFS) is so important to give all children, and particularly those who are disadvantaged, the best start to statutory schooling. 

Within Warwickshire 71.8% of children were assessed as ‘ready for school’ in 2019. But this means that almost 3 children in 10 were not. 

It increased to over 5 in 10 children when looking at those in receipt of free school meals (2018/19 EYFSP data). 

The Warwickshire Early Years Advisory Team sits within the wider Education Services Team. It comprises two advisory teachers and an advisory practitioner who are able to offer support and advice across the remit of birth to five. 

This support is available where a school has received an Ofsted judgement of ‘Requires Improvement’ or below and is also an: 

• Independent School or Academy taking children aged two and over and which are exempt from registration with Ofsted as an Early Years Provider. 

• A School taking children aged 2 and over which are exempt from registration with Ofsted as an Early Years Provider and where the children are not registered pupils of the school (Section 27 school-led early years and childcare provision) and the School has signed the Warwickshire Provider Agreement for Funded Early Years and Childcare Provision.
  
  
• Local Authority Maintained Schools, where the quality of provision has been judged by Ofsted to require significant improvement or has been placed in special measures (Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance for local authorities June 2018)
  

The support offered is tailored to meet the school’s individual needs, whilst working alongside the school leadership team. It does not preclude the school from working with any other provider and it is free at the point of delivery. 

A support package may include: 

• Development of a post inspection quality improvement action plan 
• Training 
• Telephone / video calls / Email correspondence 
• Supporting with documentation 
• Face to face visits and review sessions 
• Signposting to other Schools with good practice 
• Signposting to Warwickshire Teaching School Alliance (Early Years specialists)

If you receive an Ofsted Inspection grade of Requires Improvement or below, we will contact you by email to offer our support over the next few weeks.

The capacity for early years advisory support is limited. However, we do seek to work proactively and if your self-assessment of practice in the EYFS indicates standards may be at ‘requires improvement’ or below we are available to discuss any concerns with you and offer support where we can. 

The response to these wider requests for support would be determined by each school’s circumstances and the workload of the Early Years Teams at the time of the request.